The word "Geva" (pronounced "jee-vuh") was first coined in 1972 by our founder, Cynthia Seldon, by taking the first two letters of "Genesee" and of "Valley" - the area in which Rochester is located. In fact, our name was spelled "GeVa" until 1997 when artistic director Mark Cuddy downsized the big "V". Now, it is just like other famous Rochester brands, Kodak and Xerox, who have made-up names, too. They seem to have done alright with theirs and, like Geva Theatre Center, are intent upon world dominance.